Although introductory, this is more than just simply a survey course since it introduces students to several crucial aspects of Vietnam Studies as an inter-/trans-disciplinary field and a part of regional studies.
Students will first learn what “transdisciplinarity” and “area/regional studies” are, what regional studies we are talking about when talking about Vietnam, and why they are playing important roles in our understanding of the country and its people. Key concepts in social sciences and the humanities (such as “power,” “society,” “culture,” “nation-state,” “national identity,” “national pride,” “colonial mentality,” “inferiority complex,” or “globalization”) will be discussed to create a basic theoretical foundation for further understanding of multiple “Vietnams” in the making. Students will have the opportunity to examine a few case studies, approve or question their research outcomes with a critical mind. Students will also have a chance to learn about local studies, recognizing the importance of the studies of urban centers and rural areas, such as Ho Chi Minh City (formerly, Saigon), Hue, Hanoi, or the Mekong Delta that will enrich their comprehension of those places and of Vietnam, in general. Essentially, students will be exposed to “Vietnamese Studies” currently practiced inside and outside Vietnam to realize which approaches have been employed in this interdisciplinary field, and how the field significantly varies in different geo-political, socio-cultural environments, depending on who is doing it and in which contexts it is carried out. Web-based talks and conversations with representative scholars in Vietnamese Studies from North America, Europe, East- and Southeast Asia will help students recognize the global aspects of this fascinating academic field. A wide array of (re)sources for study and research will be introduced. Finally, students will have a chance to redefine “Vietnam Studies” at Fulbright University Vietnam and figure out which directions it is heading towards.
At the end of the course, students are encouraged to work in team on a research topic of their choice with transdisciplinary approaches. This course is open to VSM majors and non-majors.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After finishing this course, students should be able to
- Recognize the importance of Vietnam Studies from a variety of perspectives;
- Obtain a general view of Vietnam Studies as it is practiced widely and differently in Vietnam as well in the rest of the world, thus get ready for their graduate studies;
- Get connected with leading scholars/experts from Vietnam and overseas;
- How to contextualize Vietnam in regional/area studies;
- How to identify a substantial and meaningful Vietnam-based research topic that can trigger international interests;
- Locate various (re)sources for their understanding of and research on Vietnam;
- Apply transdisciplinary approaches to their research.
COURSE POLICIES
Communication: All e-mails relevant to this course must be addressed to thầy Nguyễn Nam. We will try to respond to your email within 48 business hours as the latest.
Attendance and Participation: Even though this course is offered online, regular attendance is crucial; bad attendance will result in a lower grade. Participation in class discussions is crucial and counted toward the final grade. All absences must be accompanied by a written excuse, either by a doctor, or your Resident Advisor.
- For the purposes of this course, participation is valued in which students build upon one another’s comments, provide meaningful connections to practice, share critical observations and insights on a topic, and generally increase the complexity and richness of the discussion. Students are also encouraged to pose questions to one another.
- Students may use laptops or tablets in class to take notes. However, any other use of these devices and the use of cell phones are strictly prohibited. Violating this policy will negatively impact the student’s class participation.
Academic Integrity: Academic honesty requires that the quest of knowledge within the university be realized with sincerity and integrity. Conducting original research with clearly cited sources is essential to any college courses, especially the ethics class. These sources should be cited according to the Chicago Manual of Style. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited.
Civil Discourse: This course will introduce you to several new academic perspectives on Buddhist ethics in general and ethics in East- and Southeast Asia (especially in Vietnam) in particular. Students are expected to engage in social perspective-taking, trying to perceive a situation, or to comprehend a concept from an alternative point of view of another individual. This a skill that requires both empathy and the ability to acknowledge multiple points of view. Students should respect the rights of others by (1) allowing all classmates the right to voice their opinions without fear of ridicule, and (2) not using profanity or making objectionable (e.g., gendered, racial or ethnic) comments, especially comments directed at a classmate. Students should feel comfortable voicing their opinions, but they must also be prepared to assume responsibility for the impact that contributions may have on others.
COURSE STRUCTURE AND COMPONENTS
▪ This is a pre-seminar course in which significant time is reserved for discussions, both in specifically designed weekly sections and interspersed among the lectures, so that students can better understand this course’s contents, have a clearer picture of what “Vietnam Studies” is, and thoughtfully select their academic direction(s) and approaches in this fascinating transdisciplinary field.
The “Discussion Sessions” featured by the “Conversation with the Author” of the week allows students the outstanding opportunity to meet and learn from leading scholars in the fields.
▪ In this course, besides “Attendance and Participation,” students are required to complete
- Two “Tri-weekly Responses,”
- A report on e-resource exploration,
- Pre-final Project Preparation (including Topic Proposal, Annotated Bibliography, and Research Outline),
- Final reflective essay, and
- Final Project (see below).
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND ASSESSMENT
Attendance and Participation (10%)
- Regular attendance in both Lecture & Discussion Sessions is monitored and strongly required. Any absence from class will result in a deduction of 3% from the total 10%.
- For the purposes of this course, participation is valued in which students build upon one another’s comments, provide meaningful connections to practice, share critical observations and insights on a topic, and generally increase the complexity and richness of the discussion.
- Participation is less about the frequency with which a student engages and more about the quality of the contributions and evaluation of all contributions will reflect this.
Tri-weekly Responses (10% each, 20% in total)
- The tri-weekly responses (1,200 words each) require students to carefully examine the reading/watching assignments of the weeks (assigned documentaries included), integrate related issues they have learned from other courses, and figure out ONE topic to discuss as the argument of the response paper.
- Each response paper must base on an argument described in its thesis statement(s), well-structured with paragraphs headed by a clear topic sentence, and the paper’s argument(s) must be convincingly summed up in a strong and inspiring conclusion (a guidance of how to write a response paper to be provided in due course).
Report on E-Resources Exploration (10%)
- This exercise allows students the chance to experiment a number of selected e-resources useful to their future research.
- Students identify a topic of interest and figure out a set of relevant keywords for their search.
- A list of e-resources will be provided, but students are strongly encouraged to add more sources to the list.
- Students’ report on their findings will be graded and shared within the class to enrich their experience of resource finding methods, and to broaden their knowledge of available digital resources located in Vietnam and around the world.
Topic Proposal, Annotated Bibliography, and Research Outline (5%+5%+5%, 15% in total)
- This is the essential preparation to ensure the success of the final project. Guidance will be furnished in due course.
Course Reflection (10%)
- This is NOT a course evaluation, but an excellent chance for students to contemplate on the course journey they have gone through, figuring out the course’s impacts on their academic and career orientation(s), and suggesting how to Vietnam Studies at Fulbright (in general) and this specific course (in particular) should be developed to better serve students’ needs as well as to meet parents and society’s expectations.
Final (Team) Research Project (35%)
- Meticulous, critical, and creative are acute qualities expected to be found in the final research project.
- Students are welcome to group together as small teams of 5 (the membership of each team must consist of freshman, sophomore, and junior classes).
- The final project can be (but not restricted to) either an oral history of Vietnam(ese) studies in a specific field, or a(n) (inter)disciplinary study on a Vietnam-based topic of the team’s choice. Students are welcome to discuss how/what they wish to conduct their project with the instructor.
- The project MUST have TWO components – a research paper and a digital presentation. More detail on digital presentation options will be discussed in class in due course.
CLASS SCHEDULE
Pre-Class preparation:
• Understanding the Course: (a) Reading the Syllabus and browsing the Course Packet; (b) Jotting down your questions, concerns, and comments/suggestions; and (c) Sharing your notes/concerns/questions with the whole class in its first session.
WEEK 1
Lecture Session (October 18)
“Vietnamese Studies” Inside and Outside Vietnam – A Historical Overview
Reading
- Nguyễn Khắc Kham, Vietnamese Studies and Their Relationships to Asian Studies, Saigon: Directorate of Cultural Affairs – Ministry of State in Charge of Cultural Affairs, 1960.
- Malcom Cooper, “Editorial,” The Journal of Vietnam Studies (University of Southern Queensland, Australia), vol. 1:1 (1998), ii-iv.
- Peter Zinoman and Mariam Beevi Lam, “Editors’ Note,” Journal of Vietnamese Studies, vol. 1:1-2 (February 2006), 1-3.
- Hoàng Hưng, “Việt Nam học – Hướng nghiệp cho ngành học nhiều triển vọng,” Hà Nội Mới, August 29, 2009 (?), https://web.archive.org/web/20090829150456/http://vietnamhoc.the-talk.net/forum-f13/topic-t357.htm (accessed on September 25, 2021).
- Olga Dror and Wynn Gadkar-Wilcox. “Bibliography of Vietnam Studies Publications, 2014-Present (Updated February 10, 2016),” 1-34 [np]
- Charles Keith and Christina Schwenkel, “Special Issue: Global Vietnamese Studies,” Journal of Vietnamese Studies, vol. 16:1 (January 2021), 1-3.
Discussion Session (October 20)
- A conversation with Prof. Lê Thị Thanh Tâm, Dean of the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language, University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Hanoi.
WEEK 2
Lecture Session (October 25)
“Vietnamese Studies” in Vietnam: The Field’s Current State and Its Directions
Reading
- Vũ Minh Giang, “Việt Nam học: Trên đường hội nhập và phát triển,” Tia sáng, no. 24 (20/12/2008), 20-23.
- Trần Lê Bảo, Khu vực học và Nhập môn Việt Nam học, Hà Nội: Giáo Dục, 2008, Chapter 2 “Việt Nam học là gì?”, 33-58.
- Nguyễn Phong Nam, “Quan niệm về Việt Nam học,” Tạp chí Khoa học Xã hội Việt Nam, vol. 3(76) – 2014, 92-101.
- Faculty of Vietnamese Studies, “History and Development”, http://www.vns.edu.vn/index.php/en/about-us/overview/history-and-development (accessed on September 25, 2021)
Discussion Session (October 27)
Watching
“Nhân Văn Xin Chào | Tập 28 | Ngành Việt Nam Học,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flex0SRwNbU
- A conversation with Prof. Lê Giang, Former Dean of the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City.
WEEK 3
Lecture Session (November 1)
“Vietnamese Studies” – Research Resources from Vietnam
Reading
- Ngô Thiếu Hiệu et al., Sách chỉ dẫn các phông lưu trữ thời kỳ thuộc địa – Bảo quản tại Trung tâm Lưu trữ Quốc gia I – Hà Nội (tái bản có sửa chữa và bổ sung), Hanoi: Văn hoá – Thông tin, 2001, 1-16.
- Nguyễn Văn Hiệp and Hồ Sơn Diệp, Giới thiệu Trung tâm Lưu trữ Quốc gia II, Khoa Lịch sử Đại học Thủ Dầu Một, 2014, 8 pages.
- Phúc Tiến, “Vừng ơi, mở ra...Những kho lưu trữ quốc gia!” Người Đô Thị, 07/03/2020, https://nguoidothi.net.vn/vung-oi-mo-ra-nhung-kho-luu-tru-quoc- gia-22608.html (accessed September 27, 2021).
- “Getting Started with Archival Research”, https://www.methodspace.com/blog/getting-started-with-archival-research (accessed September 27, 2021)
Discussion Session (November 3)
“Một ngày ở Trung tâm Lưu trữ quốc gia II,”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAmQ73tYYDk
• A Conversation with the Author (1): Mr. Phúc Tiến
FIRST RESPONSE PAPER DUE
WEEK 4
Lecture Session (November 8)
“Vietnamese Studies” – Overseas Research Resources
Reading
- Selected articles on Resources for Vietnamese Studies in France from Radio France Internationale (RFI).
- Tuyết Loan, “Ra mắt Thư viện số về Lịch sử Việt Nam,” Nhân Dân, 08/04/2021, https://nhandan.vn/dong-chay/ra-mat-thu-vien-so-ve-lich-su-viet-nam--641280/ (accessed September 28, 2021).
- Michel Espagne, “Lời giới thiệu” (An Introduction to the project “Patrimoines Partagés – Bibliothèque des Flamboyants”), https://heritage.bnf.fr/france- vietnam/vi/editorial-vi (accessed September 28, 2021).
- Phuong Ngoc Nguyen, “Văn học Quốc ngữ,” https://heritage.bnf.fr/france- vietnam/vi/litterature-quoc-ngu-article-vi (accessed September 28, 2021).
- Vietnam Studies Group, “Guides to Archives and Collections,” https://sites.google.com/a/uw.edu/vietnamstudiesgroup/guides-to-archives (accessed September 28, 2021).
Discussion Session (November 10)
Watching
« Hommage à Nguyễn Du, maître de la poésie vietnamienne | Séance en direct "La BnF dans mon salon », https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PFfGsgbQJ4&t=1s (for English translation, select “Auto-translate” from the « Subtitles/CC », and chose « English »).
• A Conversation with the Author (2): Prof. Nguyễn Phương Ngọc (Département d’Études asiatiques d’AMU).
DISCUSS POTENTIAL TOPICS
FOR THE FINAL PROJECT WITH THE INSTRUCTOR
WEEK 5
Lecture Session (November 15)
“Vietnamese Studies” in Japan
Reading
• Hisashi Shimojō, “From ‘Ideal Social Model’ to Reality: Vietnamese Studies in Japan,” Journal of Vietnamese Studies, vol. 16:1 (January 2021), 4-47.
- Ono Mikiko, “The Present Condition of Vietnam Rural Studies in Japan,” Asian Research Trends. New Series, vol.2 (2007), p.19-42.
- Yasuko Yoshimoto, “A Study of the Hồi giáo Religion in Vietnam: With a Reference to Islamic Religious Practices of Cham Bani,” Southeast Asian Studies, vol. 1:3 (December 2012), 487–505.
Discussion Session (November 17)
Watching
“Nghiên cứu của Nhật: Kinh tế Việt nam sẽ vượt Thái Lan, Đài Loan để đứng thứ 2 Đông Nam Á vào 2035,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA5aGirlCk4&t=5s
• A Conversation with the Author (3): Prof. Hisashi Shimojō (Kōbe University)
FINAL PROJECT’S TOPIC PROPOSAL DUE
WEEK 6
Lecture Session (November 22)
“Vietnamese Studies” in Thailand
Reading
- Montira Rato, “The Development of Vietnamese Studies in Thailand,” Journal of Vietnamese Studies, vol. 16:1, 48-66.
- Kritapas Sajjapala, “Thailand-Vietnam Relations in the 1990s,” (MA Thesis), Cornell University, 2018, Chapter One “History of Thailand-Vietnam Relations”, 5-12, and Chapter Two “Thailand-Vietnam Relations in the 1990s,” 13-42.
- Trần Cẩm Tú, “The Image ‘Opening and Changing’ Vietnam in Thai Contemporary Fiction Books,” Manusya, vol. 23 (2020), 127-145.
Discussion Session (November 24)
Watching
“Thailand’s Role in the Vietnam War” (1967),
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTHrSSRUVEk
• A Conversation with the Author (4): Prof. Montira Rato (Chulalongkorn University).
EXPLORING E-RESOURCES FOR VIETNAM STUDIES REPORT DUE
UG FALL BREAK, NOVEMBER 25-29
WEEK 7
Lecture Session (Wednesday, December 1)
“Vietnamese Studies” in Russia/Former Soviet Union
Reading
- Anatoly Sokolov, “Vietnamese Studies in Russia and the Former Soviet Union,” Journal of Vietnamese Studies, vol. 16:1, 67-89.
- Nina Grigoreva, “The Muong Epic Cycle of ‘The Birth of the Earth and Water’: Main Themes, Motifs, and Culture Heroes,” Folklore: Electronic Journal of Folklore, 2019, 47-70, https://doi.org/10.7592/FEJF2019.75.grigoreva
- M.A. Terskikh, “Vietnam – Quad: Inevitable Rapprochement?”, Russian Journal of Vietnamese Studies, Series 2 (2021), no. 2, 6-14, https://www.ifes-ras.ru/images/vs/2021/vs_2021_2eng-6-24.pdf
[Discussion Session
Watching
Courses on Vietnamese studies in Russia, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdwW3ZVAp38
- A Conversation with the Author (5): Prof. Anatoly Sokolov (Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences)/ Nina Grigoreva (Higher School of Economics (HSE) University)]
WEEK 8
Lecture Session (December 6)
“Vietnamese Studies” in Chinese-Speaking Nations
Reading
- Yufen Chang, “Constructing Vietnam, Constructing China: Chinese Scholarship on Vietnam from the Late Nineteenth Century until Present,” Journal of Vietnamese Studies, vol. 16:1, 90-131.
- Xiaorong Han, “A Community between Two Nations: The Overseas Chinese Normal School in Hà NộI, 1956-1972,” Journal of Vietnamese Studies, vol. 12:4, 23-63.
Discussion Session (December 8)
Watching
“Số đỏ lần đầu tiên ra mắt bạn đọc Trung Quốc,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiPeGTM-prE
- A Conversation with the Author (6): Prof. Yufen Chang (National Taipei University)/Xia Lu (Peking University)
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY & RESEARCH OUTLINE DUE
WEEK 9
Lecture Session (December 13)
“Vietnamese Studies” in Germany
Reading
- Thomas Engelbert, “Vietnamese Studies in Germany: An Institutional History,” Journal of Vietnamese Studies, vol. 16:1, 132-157.
- Stein Tønnesson, “Can China and Vietnam Use International Law to Resolve Their Maritime Disputes?” in Jörg Thomas Engelbert, The South China Sea Conflict after the Arbitration of July 12, 2016: Analyses and Perspectives, Frankfurt a.M: Peter Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, 2020, 179-203.
Discussion Session (December 15)
Watching
“Contested Memories – Sino-Vietnamese Relations and the South China Sea in Vietnamese Commemoration” by Prof. Dr. Martin Großheim, November 25, 2017.
- A Conversation with the Author (7): Prof. Jörg Thomas Engelbert (University of Hamburg)
SECOND RESPONSE PAPER DUE
WEEK 10
Lecture Session (December 20)
“Vietnamese Studies” in North America
Reading
- “Center for Vietnamese Studies and Programs – Southern Illinois University at Carbondale,” Newsletter, vol. 1:1 (September 15, 1969) [8 pages, np.]
- Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, “Refugee Scholars and Vietnamese Studies in the United States, 1975-1982,” Amerasia Journal, vol. 11:1 (April 1984), 89-99.
- Edward Miller and Tuong Vu, “The Vietnam War as a Vietnamese War: Agency and Society in the Study of the Second Indochina War,”
Discussion Session (December 22)
Watching
WEEK 11
Lecture Session (December 27)
Redefining “Vietnam Studies” at Fulbright University Vietnam – Studying Vietnam in Interconnected Global Networks
Reading
- Phạm Quang Minh, “Teaching International Relations in Vietnam: Chances and Challenges,” International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, vol. 9 (2009) 131–155.
- Liam C. Kelley, “The Decline of Asian Studies in the West and the Rise of Knowledge Production in Asia: An Autoethnographic Reflection on Mobility, Knowledge Production, and Academic Discourses,” Research in Comparative & International Education, vol. 15:3 (September 2020), 273-290.
- Nguyen Thanh Trung and Le Ngoc Khanh Ngan, “Codifying Waters and Reshaping Orders: China’s Strategy for Dominating the South China Sea,” Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, https://amti.csis.org/codifying-waters-and- reshaping-orders-chinas-strategy-for-dominating-the-south-china-sea/ (accessed September 28, 2021).
Discussion Session (December 29)
Watching
“Liam C. Kelley on Vietnamese History & Area/Asian Studies,”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxOSPzHhs5U
• A Conversation with the Author (10): Prof. Nguyen Thanh Trung
COURSE REFLECTION DUE
NEW YEAR HOLIDAY, JANUARY 1-3
WEEK 12
Lecture Session (Wednesday, January 5)
“Vietnam Studies” and Its Selected Academic Focuses at Fulbright Reading
- Victor Neves, “Economics and Interdisciplinarity: An Open-systems Approach,” Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, vol. 37:2 (147), 343-362.
- Ngo Tu Lap, “Critiquing the Promotion of American Biased ‘Liberal Arts Education’ in Post-‘Đổi Mới’ Vietnam,” in Phan Le Ha and Doan Ba Ngoc, eds. Higher Education in Market-Oriented Socialist Vietnam – New Players, Discourses, and Practices, Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2020, 125-144.
- Robert Stam, World Literature, Transnational Cinema, and Global Media – Towards a Transartistic Commons, London & New York: Routledge, 2019, “Sibling Disciplines: Literary Studies and Cinema Studies,” 58-63; “From Literature to Film: A Study in Ambivalence,” 64-67; “The Cinema and the World Literature Canon,” 69-74; “The Gains of (Film) Translation,” 75-83; and “Adaptation, Remix, and the Cultural Commons,” 84-90.
[Discussion Session
Watching
“Digitizing Vietnamese Art and Culture: Digital Preservation for Cultural Promotion and Education” by Dr. Emma Duester & Michal Teague, http://dpech.disanso.vn/index.php/presentation-no-3/
• A Conversation with the Author (11): Prof. PHAN Le Ha, Universiti Brunei Darussalam. ]
WEEK 13
WORKING ON THE FINAL PROJECT
NO CLASS THIS WEEK
WEEK 14
“Vietnam Studies” at Fulbright – New Burgeons
FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
(January 19, Concrete Time to Be Decided)
